She was the youngest child in the family and had 6 brothers who all resided in a 2 bedroom home at 1266 South Gaylord Street. Naturally as the only daughter she was the apple of her father's eye.
Carolyn wanted to be called Carol and became Carol Maus when she married Marvin K. Maus Jr. on July 22, 1951. Marvin was in the Marine Corps fighting in Korea at this time. After his discharge and a few moves around the country they came to settle at 2161 S. Yates Street in Denver with their 5 children.
In 1963 they moved to what would be "home" for her for the rest of her life. A wonderful 4 bedroom 2 story home with a great deal of open area for the family to enjoy.
She was a wonderful mother and did her best to never miss a play, school musical, baseball or Lacrosse game, gymnastic meet, or whatever the function of the week was. It didn't matter if you were 6 years old or 22 she was there for support and kept up this support with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She enjoyed all kinds of game playing with her kids, grandkids and her many friends and didn't like to lose... Uno, Skip-Bo, Rummikub, and Canasta were just a few of her favorites. She was playing Corn Hole with the best of them at 87 years old last year at her great-grandkids College/Jr. High graduation party.
Another love of Carol's was dancing. She began dancing at an early age at Elitch Gardens. She and Marvin belonged to square dance clubs and also enjoyed country swing dancing.
Carol and Marvin were particularly close with her brother Paul & sister-in-law Dolores, who was more a true sister. Very few family celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Easter and so one were ever celebrated apart from one another. It was more like one large combined family. Carol and Dolores kept up their 1-2 hour phone conversations until she could no longer talk on the phone. They are sisters forever.
Carol loved to travel and since Marvin was successful as an insurance salesman/manager they were able to see a lot of the world on company junkets. Spain, Paris, Hawaii, Acapulco, the Bahamas and Japan were just some of the places they were able to see. Marvin passed in 1986.
At her 45th high school reunion, she started phase two of her life when she ran into Robert "Bob" Smilanic. The two of them hit it off and would remain by each other's side for the next 25 years, once again traveling to Germany, Italy and other destinations. They loved to dance and play cards with their friends. They danced their last dance this year at a Valentine's Day celebration. Bob was her rock to the very last day.
A tireless woman, Carol belonged to the VFW Post Number 5061 and was an auxiliary member and volunteered every Friday for bingo for over 20 years. She was also a member of the Alpha Sigma Chapter of Sigma Phi Gamma International and was the health and cheer chairman. A very religious person, she volunteered to work funerals at St. Frances Cabrini Parish.
Carol is preceded in death by her oldest sons baby Steven (1952), Steven R. (1967) and husband, Marvin (1986). She is survived by her children, Mike (Debbie), Joe (Linda Harris), Pam (Kenny) and Bret (Karen). She also has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
PALLBEARERS
Michael Maus
Joseph Maus
Bret Maus
Robert Smilanic
Jon Shoutta
Aaron Green
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